Kurdistan’s Weekly Brief June 14

Turkey (Bakur or North of Kurdistan)

Selahttin Demirtas the Co-chair of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) warned the “ethnic civil war” could break out in Turkey as divisions between Kurds and Turks grow. The U.S. Department of State Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner said “we’re very concerned that this amendment will have a chilling effect on freedom of speech across Turkey.” Addressing the bill of lifting immunity of HDP lawmakers.

Ongoing clashes (since July 2015) continue between the Turkish military and the Kurdistan workers’ Party (PKK) in southeast of Turkey. The most intense clashes broke out last week in Semdili, Hakkari province. PKK announced the death of 19 soldiers. The Turkish government also announced the death of 13 PKK fighters by warplanes. The international Crises Groups confirmed PKK fatalities at 519 and 517 police, military personnel since the stall of the peace process.

In the 32nd regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein stressed that that Turkey used heavy weaponry in the Kurdish town of Nusaybin where buildings have been demolished completely, and the destruction can be seen from satellite images.

Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) claimed responsibility for a car bomb that killed 11 (7 police and 4 civilians) and wounded 36 in Istanbul last week. In astatement TAK identified the member of the group who conducted the operation. Separately an explosion has occurred outside the police headquarters in Midyat district of Mardin on June 8, 2016. PKK claimed the attack that target it the police headquarters in retaliations of the military campaigns by Turkey’s security forces in the Kurdish cities.

Kurdistan Communities’ Union (KCK) Executive Council condemned the ISIS attack in the U.S. and expressed their condolences to the people of the United States for the victims of in Orlando shooting.

Syria (Rojava or West of Kurdistan)

Manbij liberations: The U.S. led coalition has conducted tens ofair strikes against ISIS in Manbij. Manbij Military Council (MMC) had liberated 14villages. All routes to the city has been cut on ISIS according to reports by observers and confirmed by Brett McGurk. Hundreds of civilians flee while thousands remain inside the city. Meanwhile a commander of MMC stated that 90% of the fighters participating in the liberation operation are from the Arab component. During the liberation of Assalayah village, two ISIS leaders were killed.

In an interview Elham Ahmad the Co- president of the Syrian Democratic Councilsaid that “Manbij would play an important role in the establishment of the system in North Syria, just as North Syria would play a major role in the establishment of a Democratic and Federal Syria.” She said that the main goal of the Syrian Democratic Council and Democratic Syrian Forces was the liberation of entire Syria from ISIS gangs.

People’s Defense Units (YPG) stated that Turkish soldiers attacked the village of Ziyaret to the west of Kobanî on the night of June 8 with heavy weaponry. YPG noted that soldiers burned the fields in this village and set off the mines here, which caused panic among the villagers.

According to Sputnik news, Kurdish sources have reviled the construction of a french military base in Kobani. The bases reportedly will be for french military advisers similler to the U.S. bases in Syria.

Iraq (Bashur or South of Kurdistan)

Patriot Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and Democratic Party of Kurdistan (KDP) held a meeting to discuss the recent agreement in between PUK and Gorran (Change movement ). During their meeting on Jun 12, both sides discussed the recent political situation in Kurdistan. Both parties will be holding meetings in future after discussing the issues within their leaderships.

General Jabar Yawar, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Peshmerga, announced the details of Peshmerga forces casualties since the start of the war against ISIS. Gen. Yawar stated that 1466 Peshmerga have lost thier lives and 8610 were injured in addition to 62 reported to be missing.

During the current the economic crises in the region, the Kurdistan regional Government (KRG) several measures to ensure that all due taxes from companies and businesses are being collected in order to increase government revenues.

Iran (Rojhelat or East of Kurdistan)

According to pro regime media, five members of the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK) been killed by Iran’s revolution Guards. Clashes broke out between Iranian forces and the Kurdish groups on May 8 resulting of death of eight among the regime’s revolution guards.

ANF: According to a report of the Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), Necmedîn Qadirpûr got critically injured during an attack of Iranian regime forces in the East Kurdistan’s town of Piranshahr on June 8, and lost his life in the hospital where he received treatment.